International Advocacy Capacity Tool

Does your organization have what it takes to accomplish your policy goals? AFJ’s free self-assessment tool can help.

The International Advocacy Capacity Tool (IACT) helps groups around the world measure their readiness to engage in advocacy. Groups answer questions about their organization’s skills, knowledge, practices and resources for running issue campaigns, influencing legislation, or other forms of advocacy. The tool then immediately generates results.

The IACT is useful for a range of nonprofits/NGOs—whether big or small groups fighting for change, a coalition of groups working together, or a philanthropy (funder) looking for ways to support its grantees.

This tool consists of:

Preliminary questions about the organization (this includes informal groups and coalitions).

Core capacities or indicators: The 19 indicators and related measures represent the core areas of capacity for any organization or groups of organizations that aim to be effective advocates over time. They are based on experience gathered from advocates, evaluators and funders and are organized into 4 sections:

Advocacy Goals, Plans, and Strategies

Conducting Advocacy

Advocacy Avenues

Organizational Operations to Sustain Advocacy

Measures: Each indicator has four basic measures and one to three advanced measures. Users rate themselves according to the measures.